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Stained Glass in Carlow Cathedral: St. Alphonsus, Founder of the Redemptorists, adores Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
To be honest, we haven't quite known what to say since our last blog-post.
One of the most famous men on the planet was seen by millions to casually walk off with the Blessed Sacrament, Christ Himself, in his hand; and hardly anyone has anything to say about it. What more can we add?
Dear readers, what is wrong with our hearts? Where is the zeal for Christ and His rights? Why do we not burn with holy indignation or love? Would we be so quiet if a creature we loved were so offended? Or if our own rights were transgressed?
A couple of days ago, movements of potential persecution seemed to begin against us for the things that we have said in the public realm. Certainly, our writings here are being observed. The silence of so many Catholics - at least in public - left us feeling even more exposed. In light of this, we entered a period of indescribable fear. We recalled Cardinal James Francis Stafford's words in 2008, when he pronounced: ''For the next few years Gethsemane will not be marginal. We will know that garden.''Â
Today, Christ's love has overwhelmed us. In light of this divine love, we are ashamed of our fear. Don't get us wrong, we are not beating ourselves up over it. It is perhaps natural to experience a certain amount of fear when the darkness presses in. The whole experience has given us a reality check regarding our trust - or lack thereof - in Jesus Christ. No, this shame is not something destructive. It is more akin to the way one blushes in the presence of the Beloved. It is adoration. It is love. It is the realization that for such a Beloved, one should prefer to die a thousand deaths than to fail to love in return. It is also the realization of one's inadequacy in the presence of such love. And yet, it is also the knowledge that one is loved anyway. Loved infinitely. It is a glimpse of St. Paul's teaching that perfect love casts out fear. It is to find oneself immersed in His perfect love for us, rather than ours for Him. It is to know that Jesus makes up what each of us lacks. There are not words.
In the Litany of the Sacred Heart, there is a line which Catholics repeat often. May it seep into all of our souls in these times:-
Oh Jesus, meek and humble of heart - Make our hearts like unto Thine.
